Hero of the Olympians
by Alice Prince
Summary: Jazmin Elizabeth Davis comes from from an abusive household, having dreams that placed her in the Greek myths. Then came the day she met Chiron. What will happen to this half-blood in this cruel world? FYI, there wont be alot of romance. Yet. R
1. The Hellhound's out of the Bag Now

NOTE: This is the last chapter that will need to be revised! I can't wait! And after this, I can solely focus on the new chapters! Enjoy~ (Also, for those who have read the old version, I've decided to completely change Jazmin's home life. She now no longer has step-sisters, but the step-mother is still there. And David isn't such a pushover anymore. He's also a professor of ancient history at the University of Texas and he dabbles in crafts- things that Athena likes. But he's still going to be a very minor character.)

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"Oh just leave already!"

"Maybe I will!"

"Fine!"

Jazmin Davis was roused from her bed. She groggily looked at her clock. _6:58 am. Time to get moving._ She threw her covers back and stretched. Her hair a halo around her head, Jazmin came out of her room. She looked over at her dad. "What happened?"

He looked at her with sad eyes. "Your brother-"

She held up a hand. "Say no more."

Jazmin's adoptive brother Clayton had always had issues. Especially since he had been told about his parents. Years ago, Clay's parents, David's brother and sister-in-law, died. David offered to raise Clay like his own son. Clay hadn't been told until he was fifteen. He was now eighteen and out of high school; so it's not like David could stop him from going.

Jazmin yawned. Clayton came out of his room carrying a duffle bag and glared at David. He stalked out the front door and slammed it shut. Out of the master bedroom came Angelica, David's step-mom. Jazmin had been wondering for as long as she could remember why on Earth David had married her. Something told her that it wasn't for love. Jazmin didn't know why.

"What's going on, Davie?" Jazmin cringed. Angelica loved to talk sweet to David, especially in front of Jazmin. She saw how much Jazmin hated it.

"Clayton left."

"Oh dear." She also liked to feign innocence.

"I'm gonna go shooooooower," said Jazmin as she yawned hugely. She emerged from the bathroom dressed in a shirt that said "book nerd" and shorts. Her hair was down and she was still brushing it. "Where's Angelica?" asked Jazmin of David.

"Showering in the other room."

Jazmin sat down next to David at the kitchen table. He had bags under his eyes and he hadn't touched his morning coffee, which wasn't like him. "What's wrong?"

David sighed heavily. "A lot of things."

"Dad, I have a question for you."

David looked at her with tired eyes. "What is it?"

"Why are you with Angelica?"

"I'll tell you when you're ready."

"No. You've been telling me that for years now."

David smiled wearily. "You're so like your mother." He kissed her on the head. "Go get breakfast. You'll be late for school."

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It was lunch the same day. Little did Jazmin know, it would be her last. She was sitting with Grover, as was customary. "I had a really weird dream last night."

"What happened?" They often liked to talk about dreams.

"Well, at first, I was dreaming about something totally stupid. Something about me, fighting with a sword. And then something interrupted it. I was just about get hit by an enemy and then the dream changed."

"Into what?"

"I didn't know at first. The dream-me looked around and saw two women arguing. I don't remember about what exactly, but it ended with them having a contest. A weaving one, if I'm remembering right," said Jazmin. "One of them was blonde; she cursed her challenger. After she did, she turns right at me and tells me to go to you."

"Th-that's odd," said Grover.

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That night, Grover sent an Iris-message to camp. "I think I've found another half blood."

"So what's the problem?" asked Mr. D.

"Her aura is stronger," said Grover.

"I'll be over there as soon as I can, Grover," said Chiron. "It should be tomorrow. I'll bring Annabeth and Percy with me."

"Sounds good, sir," said Grover. "I'll see you tomorrow."

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NOTE: I know, still really fast, but I wanted this update to be over! And now it is! Huzzah!


	2. Goodbye, San Antonio

NOTE: The story is currently under a revision process. This will end with chapter four, I think.

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Jazmin was sitting on the floor outside her first period History class. Her teacher was a monster! He was tall and he was 2nd generation Kenyan. He wore huge glasses that magnified his eyes to ten times their normal size. He wore socks with sandals. _Socks with sandals! _Even her father's friend Mario, who weighed like 450 pounds, knew that was wrong! Stacy London and Clinton Kelly would definitely _not_ approve of this guy… He even tucked in his shirt and wore a pocket protector. If that's not bad enough, his shirts were downright bizarre; and not in the fun way! They had eccentric patterns and his pants didn't go with them either. I mean, how bad can you get? If _that_ wasn't enough, his personality…just sucked. He chastised kids in his class for getting facts wrong, and then and then he gets it wrong in the same way! What a hypocrite!

Grover sat down next to Jazmin and they resumed talking about Ancient Greece. Today's discussion was about who their favorite god or goddess was; and what their favorite mythological creature they liked best.

"Nature magic could be useful," Jazmin commented casually.

Grover thought he heard something in her voice. _Gotta steer away from this. _"How 'bout your favorite god?"

"Hmm… I'd have to say either Athena or Poseidon."

"Better not let _them_ hear you say that," Grover muttered to himself.

"What was that, Grover?"

For several minutes, Jazmin tried to weed the information out of him; she couldn't _stand_not knowing anything. She tried several approaches, but Grover wouldn't say anything. Finally, fifteen minutes before the bell was to ring for the fist class of the day School, Chiron and Annabeth Chase approached the classroom. Annabeth's curly golden hair cascaded down her shoulders as she pushed Chiron in his wheelchair. Chiron had old brown eyes that looked like he'd seen it all.

"Jazmin, Grover, please come inside with me," said Chiron as Annabeth wheeled him into the classroom.

Jazmin and Grover rose and followed the two new-comers. Jazmin was looking bewildered; what could she have done? First period hadn't even _started _yet. Grover, however, looked like normal. Maybe he knew this was coming!

Once Chiron was settled and Annabeth was perched on the teacher's desk, Jazmin spoke. "What did I do? School hasn't even officially started for the day!"

Chiron ignored this, and instead posed her a question. "Jazmin, have you been seeing strange things lately?"

"What _kinds_ of strange things?"

"Please answer the question."

Jazmin thought a moment as she took her thinking pose, which was her head lying on her intertwined hands with her eyes closed. "Yes I have," said Jazmin apprehensively.

"Like what?"

"The monsters from the myths of Ancient Greece."

Grover glanced at Annabeth. "She can see through the Mist."

"Shh," said the child of Athena to her friend the Satyr.

Chiron seemed to be pondering these new developments. Finally, after several agonizing minutes, he spoke. "It seems as though we have another demigod on our hands! These dreams you've been having; you said they feature different mythological stories."

It seemed to Jazmin like they were messing with her! What was a demigod anyway? This had to be a joke. After all, the myths can't be real. Can they? By the time they had talked for ten minutes, Grover, Annabeth and Chiron were all convinced, beyond a showdown of a doubt, that Jazmin Davis was indeed the child of a god.

"Jazmin," Chiron said gravely. "It is no longer safe for you here." He placed his hands open-palmed on the desk that Jazmin was sitting in. "You must come with us."

"Come with you where?" Jazmin was beginning to really freak out now.

"To CampHalf-Blood. It's the only safe place for half bloods like us," explained Annabeth. "Once _they_ know where you are, you aren't safe. Once you become aware of your identity, monsters will come; they always do." Her tone of voice was more calming than Chiron's.

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There were no objections from her family. In fact, David being out of the house gave Angelica free reign over everything in the house. She told Jazmin to "Get out you freak!" because "No one wants you here!"

Within five minutes, Jazmin had packed everything that mattered into a medium sized rainbow duffle bag. She walked out the front door without a backward glance, wondering what Angelica would do with the remainder of her possessions; probably burn them, like they were evidence of some terrible crime. It was a swelteringSan Antonio,Texasafternoon. She stood outside with Grover, Annabeth and Chiron, who had waited for her while she got her things. Finally, with a man that she had never seen before in the front passenger seat, the camp van drove up to the curb. It was white and had the words "Delphi Strawberry Service" painted on the side.

"Are you _sure_ this is the right van?"

"Yes; yes we are."

The door slid open and the man told Grover and Annabeth to help Chiron into the van. He had wavy dark brown hair and eyes that were green like the ocean. Once everyone was settled in, Chiron spoke once again. "These dreams you have, what exactly _are _they? What happens? Who is there? _Who _are you?"

"The dreams always place me near the gods and they always play out like the myths of Ancient Greece." Even the man in front was listening now. This was getting interesting. "It always seems like she's speaking directly to me personally, as opposed to me in a dream."

Grover, Annabeth and Chiron exchanged glances. She sounded like…

"…a child of Athena…" said Annabeth.

"What did you say?"

"I said that Jazmin's experiences sound a lot like mine…"

"Maybe she's your sister, Annabeth…"

"Well, we _can't_ be sure until her Olympian parent claims her."

Jazmin picked up a brochure aboutCampHalf-Blood. As if on cue, a grey-blue orb appeared above her head; and in the center, was an owl.

Jazmin looked up from her brochure, only to find everyone staring with her. "What just happened?"

"Well, now we know. Lady Athena always finds a sort of cue to claim her children."

"So I'm a child of Athena?"

Annabeth nodded. "The same symbol from when I was claimed," she said it almost wistfully, like she was trying to relive that particular moment in her head.

"So that means…"

"I'm your sister," said Annabeth, opening her arms to the sixteen year old. "Come here."

Jazmin's tears were obvious now. She hugged Annabeth in the way that she'd only ever used with David.

They had driven about six hours discussing topics such as Grover's story about her step-sisters that made her laugh until she had hiccups; she even got to meet Mr. D, who turned out to be Dionysus, the god of wine. It was well past midnight when they stopped in Columbia, South Carolina for the night.

It was only when Annabeth and Jazmin, in a separate room from the men, which caused a certain amount of annoyance in the case of the driver, climbed into a couple of beds that Jazmin noticed that Annabeth was wearing a diamond ring on her right ring finger.

"Where'd you get the ring?"

Annabeth rolled over onto her side and faced Jazmin, her golden locks cascading down her back. "From Percy," she giggled.

Jazmin knew the signs of romance when she saw them. "He was the guy in front, wasn't he?"

"Ya," Annabeth giggled once again. "After the Titan War, we got married."

Annabeth launched into a story about her and Percy, but Jazmin was asleep before she got further than the Labyrinth quest.


	3. Enter Nico and Brandon

NOTE: I've been busy, so I haven't updated in a while. I also ask that if you read this, please review. It really keeps me inspired, so critique; be as rough as you want. To VampireWolf0131, I'm sorry I haven't updated, I've just been busy and the inspiration has run dry.

The first scene is property of Rick Riordan.

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In the night, Jazmin had an extremely strange dream; it was one that wouldn't let her wake up. When a demigod has a dream, it's often not just a dream. It's most likely a vision of someone you care deeply about. And these dreams seem quite real, because they usually are.

In the vision, Jazmin saw a girl in font of a large blue house in a valley. She wore khaki beach shorts, a t-shirt with a Van Gogh design and sandals. Her hair looked like fire in the sun. Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

How Jazmin knew who this girl was, she couldn't be sure. An eerie green mist surrounded Rachel; her arms were raised up to the heavens, as if she was trying to catch a beach ball.

"I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit ofDelphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate."

The mist enveloped Rachel in a column. When it dissipated, she collapsed into a fetal position.

A boy with greasy black hair and pale skin helped her up. "Are you all right? I felt you dying!"

She nodded. "I'm fine Nico," and Rachel promptly lurched to one side.

A sixteen year old boy with eyes as green as the sea helped her up. A younger Percy Jackson asked Rachel, "You mean you can tell the future now?"

Rachel turned her head to face him. "Sometimes, but when someone asks me a question, I… oh no-"

"It's starting," announced a man sporting a toga, sunglasses and a cocky smile who could only be Apollo.

Rachel doubled over, like someone had punched her. Then she stood straight up and her eyes glowed the same eerie color green as the mist had been.

When she spoke, her voice sounded tripled, like three Rachel Dares were speaking at once.

_Seven half-bloods shall answer the call._

_To storm or fire the world must fall._

_An oath to keep with a final breath,_

_And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death._

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Jazmin woke up at half past three in the morning drenched in sweat. Her blond bangs were plastered to her forehead and she was breathing heavily. Jazmin couldn't get the image of Rachel Dare out of her head: her eyes were bugging out; her skin almost looked like it was glowing. After nearly giving Annabeth a heart attack and almost waking Percy, Grover, Chiron and Argus in the next room, Jazmin fell into a dreamless sleep.

Jazmin woke up in her bed at the hotel the next morning with a headache. "Sleep well, Annabeth?"

Annabeth tried unsuccessfully to stifle a huge yawn. "Yes, after you woooooke me up."

Their party sat down to breakfast in the far corner of the room, where they all ate in silence. It had been a trying day yesterday, especially for Jazmin.

Once Jazmin returned from the breakfast bar, one of the two remaining families got up and left. The last family looked normal, at least until they nodded and simultaneously stood up. Suddenly, they grew and grew until they were twenty five feet high. Jazmin nearly fainted. They were a family of giants! She fell over the side of her chair and crawled backwards to the very corner of the room, her eyes wide.

Jazmin watched in utter disbelief as Annabeth put on her Yankees cap and disappeared. One of the giants exploded into golden dust a minute later. Percy was a demon, hacking and slashing like a madman. One other tripped over a table and fell onto Jazmin. She didn't wake, even after two hours in the car. All hope was gone.

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Jazmin woke up several times in the next few days. Every time she did, it was only for a minute. During those times, she got glimpses of where she was; one time, it was to see a boy with greasy black hair and onyx colored eyes that was spoon feeding her some pudding that tasted like kettle corn. Another time, she smelled the scent of strawberries in the air. One other time, she heard someone saying "I just hope she doesn't cause trouble like that Perry Johansson boy."

When she woke up for good, she saw Argus blinking his many eyes. She fell out of the lawn chair that she was sitting in and banged her head on the floor. When she stood up shakily, she saw Argus again. She yelled and promptly fell over once more. This time, the boy that had been spoon feeding her that pudding came running and helped her up. He had a strong grip. "Argus, will you go to Ares Cabin? I think they're fighting with Apollo again."

Argus blinked his many eyes once, as if to say, "All right." Once Argus left, the boy turned to her again. He wore a concerned look on his face and an orange "CampHalf-Blood" t-shirt. "Did he scare you?" Jazmin nodded shakily. "Yeah, he scares all the new campers, but he's nice, even if he can't talk. Are you all right?" He was still holding her arm, guiding her back to the lawn chair.

She nodded and said, "Just peachy." There was a trash can near her. She grabbed it and promptly threw up.

"At least you made it in the can. Last time someone missed, I had to clean it up," said the boy. They sat down on the chair that Jazmin had so recently vacated. "So what's your name?" the boy asked. "Mine's Nico."

"J-Jazmin."

"That's a nice name." Nico handed her a drink. She tried to grip it, but it nearly slipped from her grasp, so Nice held it for her while she drank. As soon as the apple juice that tasted like chocolate chip cookies hit her throat, Jazmin felt a warmth seep throughout her body and she immediately felt better. She finished it in no time.

"You don't want to drink too much of this stuff," Nico cautioned. "It can kill you."

Jazmin nodded. "So, where to?"

Nico gestured to the inside of the house. "In there." They stood up. "A few things you should know, don't mess with Mr. D."

Jazmin nodded. "Anything else?"

Nico laughed. "Run fast!"

Jazmin was confused. "Why would I need to run fast?"

"It's Capture the Flag tonight!"

They got to the other side of the Big House, where they saw Chiron playing a card game with Mr. D.

"I win again Chiron," Mr. D said. "How boring."

Chiron put down his cards. "No matter. Welcome home, Nico." He turned to Nico. "Show her around camp, why don't you?"

Jazmin nodded. She let Nico lead her around camp. Her shoulder was beginning to hurt a little; the duffle bag was a little heavier than she thought. He showed her the volleyball courts, the arts and crafts area, the amphitheater, and the climbing wall. They crossed the creek and he showed her the first wing of cabins. They were arranged in a U shape. Then they headed to the second wing of cabins.

Hades Cabin was really cool. It had obsidian walls and two torches that held green fire crossed over the door way. Off to the side was a black flag that had a picture of Hades' Helm of Darkness on it.

Jazmin stood there and admired Hades cabin while Nico stood there with his hands on his hips; he looked really smug. "Cool, isn't it?" he asked.

Jazmin nodded. "Yeah."

Nico turned to her. "So, who's your god parent?"

"Athena," she said. "Who's yours?"

He hesitated. A lot of people didn't like his father. You'd think they'd be nicer about it after he saved their butts in the Titan War. "Hades."

"So would that mean you can control the dead?"

"How'd you know that?"

"I guessed." Jazmin smiled. "So, am I right?" Nico nodded. "That's so cool!"

Nico sighed. "At least it doesn't take so much energy anymore." He grinned. "It doesn't wear me out like it used to."

"That's good."

"Let me show you your cabin," said Nico.

"That sounds wonderful. My shoulder hurts."

It didn't take too long to get there. When they stood by the door, Jazmin knocked and the head counselor answered.

"Hey Nico. Who's this?"

"New camper, Brandon."

For the first time, Brandon Nelson looked at Jazmin. "Come on in." He gestured towards the inside.

Jazmin walked inside then turned. "See you later Nico."

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NOTE: So that's it! What do you think? If the timeline was a little confusing, this happens about four years after the Titan War; Percy and Annabeth are married and Nico is sixteen. Just to clarify things.


	4. We need a Quest!

NOTE: Well, here it is! I hope you like this! Sorry about the wait!

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Jazmin's first Capture the Flag game hadn't really gone all that badly. Since she had no experience with a sword,Brandonput her on border patrol, with three of her siblings and two Ares kids. They gave her a spear and a helmet with a blue plume.

She was stationed on the west edge of their half of the forest, and she only had to use her "battle skills" once or twice. The first time, she _was_ able to trip someone with her spear who was trying to get across the border. The second time, Jazmin fell over her own pole and cut her leg. The idea was that Athena, Nemesis, Poseidon, Hades and Ares won again. How's that for a team?

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Jazmin woke up in the middle of the night. She looked out the window and outside of the magic barrier, rain, lightning and thunder pounded the ground.

_It's probably nothing…_ Jazmin thought. She was already asleep.

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By the time her first three weeks atCampHalf Bloodhad gone by, Jazmin found that she fought well with either a sword, in her hands, daggers were a disaster waiting to happen and that she could also fight with a bow; but never would she be as good a shot as her friend Eleni, who was an Apollo. She also found thatCampHalf Bloodwas the one true place where she belonged. The one thing that truly made camp home was the arrival of Adriana Hansen. Three days after she arrived, she and Adriana felt like they had known each other their entire lives.

One day by the lake, Adriana was telling Jazmin about her home life. Jazmin found out that she was a child of Dionysus, and that she had an identical twin by the name of Nicole, who had gotten kidnapped inKentucky. They fell silent for a moment, glanced outside the magic barrier of the camp. The storms had been getting worse, but it came to a head right then.

On the shore of the Long Island Sound, a tornado had formed and was approaching a twenty-five foot tidal wave. The clouds were black; thunder and lightning flashed and boomed. To top the whole thing off, it was pouring rain.

Jazmin looked at the Big House on impulse. She saw Chiron (in centaur form), emerging from the Big House with Mr. D. It must have been serious, because Mr. D had his hands on his hips and Chiron had his arms crossed. Their voices were raised and Jazmin heard trace words and phrases.

"-didn't mean to!"

"Of course you didn't…"

"I'll work on it."

A pause. "It might be permanent," Jazmin heard Chiron say. "You'd better find a way."

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At dinner that night, Chiron made an announcement. "Tonight, I need all the heads of cabins and their seconds to come to the Big House." He sat back down.

No one was particularly surprised about that. Chiron always called a meeting on a Saturday. Sitting at the Athena table eating her lunch, Jazmin thought to herself, _I wonder what it could be about? I'll find out later._

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After dinner, Jazmin and Brandon headed to the Big House. The meeting was held in the rec room, directly below the attic. Seated around two ping pong tables were the heads and seconds of all cabins. Apparently, they were the last to arrive.

"War is nearly upon us," Chiron said gravely.

"How?" piped upElizabeth, head of Zeus' cabin. "What happened?"

"I'm not at liberty to say," Chiron replied. "But now is the time to act upon a prophecy made by our Oracle, Rachel Dare," he said, gesturing to Rachel. "I'm sure you remember it, Nico?"

All heads turned to Nico and his second Mandy Vespucci as he spoke. "Of course I do!" Mandy whispered in his ear. Nico listened intently for the few seconds she did. He nodded. "Shall I recite the prophecy?"

Jazmin was acutely aware of her shoulder pressing into Nico's. Chiron nodded gravely.

Nico took a deep breath; the air around him seemed to take on an icy quality.

"_Seven half bloods shall answer the call._

_To storm or fire the world must fall._

_An oath to keep with a final breath,_

_And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death._"

Once Nico finished, the air seemed icier. An eerie silence filled the room. Jazmin gulped. "Do the tidal wave and tornado from last might have anything to do with it?"

Chiron nodded. "It does. I'm afraid it was Zeus, attacking Poseidon; Poseidon was defending Dionysus. More than that, I cannot say."

"We must act now!" said Aaron of Nemesis cabin. "It only seems fair!"

"Well or course you'd say that, Mr. 'eye for an eye'!" yelled Danny of Ares.

"Well at least the rest of us aren't sweaty jerks!" said David Summer of Demeter.

"Yeah, coming from the guy who spends all day tending to a flower garden!" Danny retorted.

"Calm down or I'll melt both of your weapons down into arrowheads!" yelled Josh Nickolle of Hephaestus cabin.

"SILENCE!" Chiron bellowed. "Everyone will please not argue!" For a while, they debated about the meaning of the different lines. "Well, the meaning of the first line is obvious," Chiron said. "But as we all know, three is a sacred number."

"Yeah, three Fates, three Kindly Ones, three Graces, and all of that,"Elizabethsaid. "It'd be suicide for four out of seven quest members."

"Well, what about the other lines?" Josh asked.

"Definitely war," Danny said.

"Yeah, you could sniff a battle from a hundred miles away!" yelled Taylor of Morpheus.

Before he could respond to her comment, Josh called out, "Don't even argue Danny. Let it die. So war among which other gods? It can't be just Poseidon, Zeus and Dionysus!"

"I just don't know," Chiron said in despair.

"Either way, this conflict _has_ to be resolved; and soon," Jazmin said.

Everyone murmured in agreement.

"So the third line: 'An oath to keep with a final breath,'" said Mark of Dionysus, "definitely alludes to an oath on the River Styx." A rumble was heard. "Not sure on the implications though," he continued.

"I think the last line, 'and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.'," said James of Poseidon, "must have something to do with the Underworld."

Everyone turned to Nico and Mandy.

"Hey, just because our father is the Lord of the Underworld doesn't mean we know!" Nico exclaimed.

"Well, tonight's meeting won't be adjourned until we choose the quest members," Chiron said.

No one seemed to want to volunteer for this one. Jackie of Hecate stood up. "I'll go," she said confidently. "Quest members would encounter weird monsters and I'd be perfect to help counter them." Her second in command Mark clapped her on the back. "Luck."

Taylor Anderson had always been close to Jackie, and her family, the Spicers. "I'll go too. I won't let Jackie go alone."

More mumbling. "I want to go too," Aaron piped up. He refused to elaborate.

"You'll need some good fighters on this one," Elizabeth of Zeus said.

"Well, if Eagle Brain's going, I'm going too!" said James of Poseidon.

It was a playful banter, those insults.

"I'll go too," Jazmin said, her voice quivering. She cleared her throat. _I can't be left in the dust…_she thought.

"And I won't let you go without me," Nico said.

"I know you won't, Nico," Jazmin said.

"That's so sweet!" Rose of Aphrodite cabin said. "You two are so cute!"

"Shut!" Nico demanded.

Before things got out of hand, Chiron spoke up. "So we have our seven quest members: Jackie, Taylor, Nico, Jazmin, Elizabeth, Aaron and James. Be sure to be ready. You leave in two days. All of you are to spend tomorrow preparing to embark. Meeting adjourned!"

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NOTE: So…what do you think? Good? Review please!


	5. Front Seat

NOTE: Wow that was quick. Another chapter already. (G-d, I sound like a nostalgic award recipient at an award ceremony.) Anyway, I hope you like it.

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Preparation didn't take long. All Jazmin needed was packed into a messenger style bag. She set it down on her bunk in the Athena cabin and decided to go and climb the rock wall.

As Jazmin walked through the grounds on Camp Half Blood, she just couldn't help thinking that this would be the last time she'd ever see it. In her time here, she really had come to terms with her identity. However, it was a surreal feeling knowing that your mother is the goddess of wisdom, an all-powerful, awe-inspiring immortal being.

In all of her thoughts, Jazmin didn't even realize that she had reached the top of the rock wall until she couldn't grab the next hand hold. She got down and walked towards the lake. Jazmin decided to sit down with her back to a tree and think some more.

_I miss you Dad… You too, Courage._

Jazmin hugged her knees to her chest, letting her ponytail blow in the breeze. Tears fell down her cheeks.

"You scared?"

Jazmin jumped, startled out of her reverie. She hadn't even noticed his approach. "What do you think? Everyone else is so much more prepared than I am!"

"You aren't hopeless." Brandon sat down next to her. "You'll be fine," he said. "I know you will."

Brandon was eighteen. He was going to go to college in the fall.

"That may be, but I haven't been at camp nearly as long as the rest of the team!" More tears spilled out of her eyes.

"You going on this Quest is not pointless! You're going on it because you're going to do something great. You should be happy. Not everyone gets this chance," Brandon said. "I've never told anyone this before, but the day before my first Quest, I hid in the bathroom and I wouldn't come out."

"Really?"

Brandon nodded. "It took five counselors to drag me out."

"And then what happened?"

"I did what I was trained to do and I did it well. The quest went smoothly; smoother than anyone would have thought." He paused, perhaps lost in his memories. "Anyway, I have something I wanted to give you."

"What is it?" Jazmin asked.

He lifted a thin silver chain off of his neck. It had a pendent on it, a silver owl. "This was mine, but I'm giving it to you." He gently pulled out Jazmin's hand and let the chain slide through his fingers. She put it on.

"Slap it," said Brandon.

"The necklace?"

"The charm," he clarified.

She slapped it.

"Now look at yourself."

Jazmin looked, but she couldn't see anything. She jumped. "What the heck?"

"Slap it again," he instructed. She did.

Jazmin's hand reappeared before her eyes. "I-I-I can really have this?"

He nodded. "Don't lose it. Besides, at this point, I think you need it more than me." He grinned. "Let's go to dinner."

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Chiron must have made an announcement about the Quest because everyone started to mumble as Jazmin and Brandon entered the dining pavilion.

_Is she going to make it?_

_As for me, I hope she'll come back safely._

_If _I _were Chiron, I wouldn't let so new a camper go on this Quest._

_Oh gods, you're worrying for nothing. She'll be fine!_

_That's what you said about the last one, Luna._

In tribute to the gods, Jazmin threw a clump of grapes into the flames. _Please protect me on the Quest, mother. _She was almost too queasy to eat; she knew that she'd need her strength for the coming ordeal. After some encouragement, she managed to eat some pizza and some fruit. When she couldn't stand to eat anymore, she went back to the Athena cabin to go to sleep, not wanting to go to the sing-along.

As usual, maps were strewn everywhere along the big table just inside the door. Not looking where she was going, Jazmin bumped into the corner of the table and cursed.

Clutching her throbbing leg, she hobbled to the corner of the room where her bunk was. A clock rested on the night table. It read 7:13 pm.

Jazmin crawled into bed and, still in her clothes, drifted into an uneasy sleep, plagued with confusing, frightening images.

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"What are you waiting for? Get up!"

_Oh gods, just leave me alone._

The voice shouted her name. "Get up! The others are waiting!"

And then Jazmin remembered. She yelped and scrambled out of bed. She knocked over the speaker. "Sorry! Gotta go!" Jazmin grabbed her clothes that she had put out the day before and ran to the bathroom. She came out, hair disheveled, minutes later. Sprinting back to her bunk, Jazmin tied her hair back in a silver hair scrunchy, grabbed her bag, her bow, quiver and sword (forged by the head of Hephaestus Cabin) and sprinted to the Big House.

She arrived panting.

"You ready?" Nico asked. "Everyone else is."

Argus stood near the van and opened the door. Everyone climbed in the back, where there was a small breakfast to eat. It was a long ride. By the time their party got to Grand Central Station, the sun was up and cars were so thick on the road that you could practically see the air pollution. Argus drove into the jungle of wheels and concrete and he wasn't seen again.

"Anyone have their license?" Jackie asked.

Jazmin sheepishly raised her hand. "My dad didn't let my step-monster know, but when she thought I was getting math tutoring, I was getting driving lessons."

"So if we rent a car, we can drive there!" Jackie said.

"Yeah, if we had enough money," Aaron pointed out.

"Maybe we can rent the car for a day," James said, "so we still have cash for food."

Jazmin nodded. "It's a good idea. I don't mind driving for a while."

"But where can we rent the car?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not sure," Nico said.

James snapped his fingers. "Be right back!" She disappeared into the Grand Central lobby and came out a few minutes later with a sticky note that had an address written on it. "It's a car rental place. We can walk there," he continued, "I grew up in New York. I'll lead the way."

Their group moved to the sidewalk and walked for about ten blocks. They came up to the entrance. That was when Nico stopped them.

"What gives?" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"We can't rent a car because we're not twenty-five yet," Nico said.

"Now what?" Aaron asked. "James, do you still have family here?"

James nodded. "My mom and my step-dad."

"Do you think they'd be willing to lend us a car?"

"Probably. They have two, a van and something else," James said. "They live on the edges of Brooklyn, near the shore."

"Can you hail a cab for us?"

"Sure," James stepped up to the curb and hailed a van cab. He walked up to the driver. "Can you drive seven of us to Brooklyn?"

The van was the kind that had two rows of three seats. In a heavy accent, the driver said, "Shure. One of yous guys'll have to sit in front."

James climbed in front, with everyone else in the back, and told the driver the address. In no time, they were paying him and standing in front of his family's house. "Her name is Anne, by the way."

Everyone gathered behind James as he strode to his family's front door. He knocked, and Anne, a kind looking woman, opened the door. "James, who are all these people with you?"

"Can we come in, Mom?"

She nodded vigorously, gesturing toward the living room. "What are you doing here? Chiron said that you can't leave camp unless…"

"Unless we have a Quest, Mom. And for this one," he said, "we have to get to LA."

"We can't fly because of me and James," Nico said.

Anne looked puzzled. "Why? What have the two of you done?"

"They haven't done anything? We can't fly because children of the Big Three, Zeus, Poseiden and Hades, can't go into their uncles' domain," Elizabeth said. "But if circumstances are right, I might be able to persuade my father, Zeus, to allow us safe passage through the sky, but I doubt it'd work."

"So we're confined to the ground," Jazmin said. "Nico and I are sixteen, but only I have my license and everyone else is too young."

"If we did fly, the plane would probably get shot out of the air," Nico said. He let that hang in the air.

Anne got up. "Excuse me. I'm going to go make some tea."

Answering his friends' questioning gazes, he said, "My grandmother was British and my mom was born here, so she makes tea when she's upset."

Taylor spoke up. "But what if she doesn't let us borrow the car?"

They sat in silence for a few minutes. A whistle ruined it. They heard the clinking of cups and the swinging door opened. Anne appeared in the doorway, holding a tray with some cookies, the kettle and some cups. She set it on the table. Everyone took a cup and a cookie.

"It'll be dangerous, won't it?" Anne said after a moment.

Deciding it would be best not to lie, James said, "It will be very dangerous, Mom, but the seven of us are very well trained. We have a healer and most of us know basic first aid."

Everyone murmured their assent.

"My driving teacher told me that she's never had a student get a 96% in her class before I came," Jazmin said.

Anne sat glumly in her chair, holding her cup tightly in her hands. A few moments later, she sat up, took a drink and sat it down. "There isn't another way?"

"Not at this point," James said.

Anne sat in silence for a little while longer. "I just don't know…"

No one spoke for a while. Just as James was about to break the silence, Anne spoke up. "I understand the risks. I know that there's a good chance of you kids getting attacked." She paused. "You're _absolutely_ sure that there's no other way?"

Everyone shook their hands. "We can't fly," Elizabeth said. "It'd take too long and we want to resolve this conflict before it gets any worse."

"As if it _could,_" Aaron murmured. "It's war…"

Jackie, who was sitting next to him, stomped on his foot. "Now's not the time for you negativity!" she hissed.

After Anne poured herself another cup of tea, and stirred in some sugar, she took a sip and set the cup back in its saucer. "I'll lend it to you on one condition." She looked in each Quest member's eyes, focusing on James for the longest time. "I want you to protect each other with your lives."

James looked at his mother's eyes for a long moment. "I promise."

They sat in silence. Meanwhile, Anna finished her tea. "I'll be right back." She stood up and walked to the door. Next to it, there was a key rack. She grabbed one of two sets of keys and walked back over. "Here you go." She set them on the table. "Keep each other safe."

"We will. You can be sure of that," Nico said.

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NOTE: Phew! Another chapter done. What do you think will happen?


	6. Dean's Curlers

NOTE: It's been a while, hasn't it? This was the first chapter of the new year for this story to have been completed and I hope you enjoy it.

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By this time, they'd been driving for a few hours. Night was falling. They hadn't eaten much of a lunch, so everyone was a little on edge.

Nico saw that Jazmin was tired, so he suggested that they stop for the night. There was a wooded area not far from where they were, so they decided to go there.

They were near Columbia, South Carolina. It was decided that Aaron, Taylor and Jackie would take the first watch. The rest of the group fell asleep quickly.

The three night watchmen sat by the fire on some logs. Out of boredom, Aaron set up a target to shoot arrows ate. He did that for a while, then stopped.

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Aurelia sat crouched in the bushes near where the quest group was camped. Three were at the fire, the night watch, she guessed. Her orders had been clear: "Get in the way. Hinder their progress and sabotage their operations. Just don't get too close."

Where they were was secluded enough, but would it conceal a blast from Greek fire? _Maybe not. A poison tipped arrow would be perfect. Which to use?_ Aurelia rummaged through her bag. _Perfect._ She pulled out a jar of a very lethal, fast acting poison, opened it and dipped her arrow into it. She screwed the lid on, put the jar back in her pack, and picked up her bow. She knocked it and crept to an area nearer her target. She aimed and shot. Seeing that it hit someone, she ran in the other direction.

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Taylor fell from her perch on the log face first by the fire. At once, Aaron and Jackie rushed to her side.

"Aaron, wake the others up! I'll take care of Taylor!" yelled Jackie.

Aaron nodded and ran to where the others were. Jackie sat down by Taylor's side. Taylor was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Jackie took a deep breath and grabbed the arrow's shaft. Her other hand was the one she used to work magic. Her palm glowed and the arrow was safely removed, levitated using Hecate's power.

The infected area was quickly turning black and it was spreading. Jackie rummaged in her bag, cursing the fact that she couldn't use the summoning spell yet. She dug through and eventually found the right ointment. She took a big glob of the stuff and applied it to the wound. Remembering her training, Jackie folded one hand over the other and chanted.

The rest of the quest group arrived. Jazmin gasped and Nico, Elizabeth and James gaped.

"What happened, Jackie?" asked Elizabeth urgently.

She didn't break her chant. Sweat began to bead on her forehead. Her entire face was screwed in concentration.

Aaron said in a dead-sounding voice, "Someone shot her with a poison-tipped arrow."

The group fell silent.

After a minute, Jackie stopped. "I-I can't do anything else for her."

"What's going to happen to her?" James asked quietly.

Nico winced and fell to his knees. Jazmin knelt down beside him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"I felt…" Nico shuddered. "It's even worse when I'm this close."

"You mean she's…"

Nico nodded gravely.

The quest members knelt down next to Taylor's body. No one spoke.

"We need to send an Iris message to camp," said Jackie. She'd started to cry.

"Now?"

"Yeah," said Jackie. "It's only right."

"How?" Nico asked.

Elizabeth wordlessly rummaged through her bag and found a spray bottle- the kind with a motorized fan and water attachment. "It's not much," she said, pulling out a flashlight too, "but it'll have to do." She and the rest of the group walked to a picnic table nearby.

Elizabeth set the fan on the table and shined the flashlight on it. She turned the fan on. It was a small mist, but it would suffice. "Oh goddess of the rainbow, accept our offering. Please show us Chiron at Camp Half Blood."

It was a faulty connection, but the spray bottle was doing all right. Chiron was sitting on his bed, reading something. Dean Martin music blared from a boom box on his bed side table. His tail was in curlers; he wore his "#1 Centaur" shirt.

The music wasn't too loud, but it still took them a while to be heard. "Chiron!"

The camp activities director looked over. "Elizabeth, everyone!" He turned so that he didn't have to crane his neck. "What happened?" His face fell.

"It's Taylor…" said Nico.

"Is she…"

Nico nodded severely.

"What do we do?" asked Jazmin.

"With the body?" asked Chiron.

Jazmin nodded.

"I'll come pick her up," said Chiron. "I want you guys to get out of there as soon as we're done talking." Even as he spoke, Chiron was getting ready to travel. "How did it happen?"

"Someone shot her with a poison tipped arrow. We don't know who," said Jackie.

Chiron's face whitened. It passed. "Where are you?"

They told him.

Chiron nodded. "Just leave right now. I'll take care of it."

"We will." Jazmin gripped the car keys very tightly.

"Go now! The assassin might still be in the area!" Chiron waved his hand through the mist.

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And so she was. Aurelia chuckled. _They don't know how right Chiron is._ The quest group moved towards her position. She calmly climbed onto the roof of their van and looked through her bag for an invisibility potion that she'd had for a while. She drank some. The invisibility was perfect. She heard the quest group approaching their transport.

"I still don't like it," said a girl with her blond hair tied back in a silver scrunchie.

"We can't think like that, Jazmin," said a boy with greasy black hair.

The girl sighed. "I know, Nico; but I can't help it."

They got in the car and once the doors shut, Aurelia strapped herself in for the ride.

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The road was deserted; it was cloudy, and it looked like it was going to rain. The light was disappearing quickly. Some clouds were threatening lightning.

BOOM!

Jazmin sped up. From the back seat, Jackie looked through the back window. "Guys, we've got company!"

They heard a loud, menacing roar. Everyone in the back turned around. "Holy Zeus!" Elizabeth yelled.

Nico turned from his place in the front seat. His face lost what little color it had left. "Oh gods…"

Another menacing roar.

"What is it?" Jazmin asked, terrified.

"It's a hell-" Jackie was cut off when the van shook violently, and was blown to the side of the road. The side of the van smacked into a tree. The other doors opened and everyone went on the street.

"What's that smell?" Jackie asked. Everyone stared at her. "What?" She looked up. "Oh Styx." She was staring straight into the face of the hell hound. Its face was contorted into a ferocious snarl.

Jackie screamed and drew her daggers. She slashed at the hell hound's face and ran to cover Aaron's back. Jazmin and Nico ran to cover the hell hound's flank.

"Elizabeth, James! Cover me!" yelled Aaron. "I'm going to try!" He pulled out his bow and fumbled, struggling to string it. "Don't move until I'm ready to shoot!" He tried twice without success, but then again, third time's the charm. He knocked one arrow and aimed it. "Move."

Meanwhile, everyone else lured the hell hound in the other direction. "Get it to come this way!"

They ran towards Aaron and the hell hound followed. Aaron carefully aimed his arrow and shot it. It was a heroic one. It hit the hell hound right between the eyes, killing it instantly. It collapsed into the ground and dissolved into monster dust.

Aaron looked to the sky. "Thank you, Artemis and Apollo."

Drip. Drip. Drip. It had begun to rain.

The bush rustled, but no one heard.

"Maybe we should get going," said Jackie.

They all agreed pretty quickly, but they stood around numbly, stunned by the events of the last few hours. They started to move away. Aaron and Jackie stood at the side of the road. The bush rustled again, this time accompanied by a faint growl.

A second hell hound jumped out of the bushes and pounced, pinning Aaron and Jackie to the ground. The hell hound growled, and burst into monster dust.

They looked at their savior- an older teenaged girl with straight, but messy black hair and a streak of purple near her right ear. She wielded a two handed sword made of celestial bronze. "I thought you could use some help. I've been tracking that beast for ages!" She grinned as she offered a hand to Jackie. "Aurelia Hawkins at your service."

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NOTE: So…let's see what Aurelia has planned!


	7. The Master Plan

NOTE: It really has been a looooooong time, hasn't it? Well, I'm going to try and balance my writing time between all of my stories again. I feel bad that I've been neglecting all other stories...but I'm back here, and I'd like to work on this story once again!

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After inspecting the damage to the van, it was decided that it was still ok to drive. But there was still the question of what to do about Aurelia. Jazmin, Nico, Elizabeth, James, Aaron and Jackie went to the side to talk about that very issue.

"But she saved us!" Aaron crossed his arms adamantly. "We didn't see the hell hound, and she saved me and Jackie."

"Think!" James said exasperatedly. "She just happens to show up and save us in the nick of time? I'm having some serious doubts."

"I'm with James and Elizabeth," said Nico. "It's too fishy. Pun intended."

"Jackie, you were the first to volunteer for this. And Jazmin, this is your first quest. I think this Quest belongs to one of you," said Elizabeth. "Before we decide what to do about Aurelia, I think we need to choose a leader. It'll make decision making a _lot_ less complicated." Everyone could see the logic in that. "And since Jackie and Jazmin have the most license, I think we should vote between the two of them. Agreed? And you two won't vote," said Elizabeth, motioning to Jazmin and Jackie.

The six of them nodded. Jazmin, as nervous as she was, saw the logic in this especially. Her mother, Athena, would approve.

"Jazmin, Jackie, turn around," said Nico. He made sure they had. "All right, who votes for Jazmin?" Pause. "Who votes for Jackie?" Pause. "Turn around, you two."

They did.

"Who won?" asked Jackie.

"Jazmin did," said Nico. "I excluded myself from the vote so I could count the votes and make it impossible to end in a tie." He motioned inward. They huddled in. "Now, what should we do about Aurelia?"

Jazmin took a moment to think. "We need allies. I say we let her join us and if we think she can't be trusted, we tell her to go. Simple as that." Jazmin snapped her fingers. She could see that people didn't like the decision, but they saw the wisdom in it. "All right?"

Albeit reluctantly, the Quest members nodded.

"Good. Let's go back," said Jazmin.

"We've decided to let you come with us, Aurelia," said Jazmin. "But if we see something we don't like, we'll ask you to leave. Sound good?"

Aurelia, who had been sharpening her sword, stood up. "Of course. What can I do to help?" _Suckers._

"For right now, just help us push the van back onto the road so we can drive," said Jazmin. "Just in case there's another hell hound in the area."

Aurelia nodded.

"Wait a sec," said Jackie. She pushed her long sleeves up to her elbows and chanted. The van shook for a second. A glowing aura surrounded it, connecting the van with Jackie's hand by a small tendril of magical power. The van moved slowly backwards towards the road. The back two tires were on the road, now the front left and with a final effort, the entirety of the van was on the road once more. Jackie suddenly looked pale. "I've never lifted something that heavy before." She sat on the ground. "Does anyone have a granola bar or something?"

Jazmin reached into her bag and pulled out a snack for Jackie. "You ok?"

Jackie accepted it and bit off a third of the bar. "Yeah," she said through chewing. "I just need a little food after doing magic like that." She finished the snack, pocketed the wrapper and stood up. "Thanks Jazmin. I feel better now." She motioned to the van. "Let's go."

They started up the slight slope.

"Hey, Aurelia, would you mind sitting in back? Your sword is biggest and needs the most room," said Nico.

"At least mine's not a soul sucker," said Elizabeth with a grin.

"Hahaha." laughed Nico. "Veeeeeeery funny, Eagle Brain."

They all climbed in to the van, Jazmin still driving, Nico still in front and the rest piled in the back.

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They drove for three hours, stopping in Johnson City for the night. There wasn't a whole lot around here, and the Quest group didn't know exactly why they hadn't been attacked again. Not that they weren't grateful for it, but still. It was unnerving.

They found an area that was good for camping, so they stayed there, right after they got something to eat.

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With the Quest group so close, Aurelia didn't dare try and kill another one of the whelps. _I can't. Not right now, anyway._ But what she could do was go and send him an Iris message.

Aurelia waited until they were all asleep, then she crept away from camp. It took some time to find a spot to send her Iris message in peace. She ended up finding a water spigot about half a mile away. _Perfect. _She pumped it until it created a nice spray and tossed a drachma into the air. "Oh goddess of the rainbow, please show me my master."

Her master materialized. As Aurelia had hoped, he was alone.

"Greetings, master."

"Greetings, Aurelia. Have you made any progress?"

Aurelia nodded. "I have, master. I have killed one of the whelps and I have infiltrated the group."

"And how do you plan to get out of it?"

"I'm still working on a plan, but I have an idea." Her arms began to burn from the physical exertion of continual pumping. But nevertheless, she persevered. "I just need a while to fully formulate the plan, but even before I've fully thought it through, I know it will involve gaining their trust."

"And that means..." He gestured with his hands vaguely.

"Fighting off some of your minions, master. I already had to. One of the hell hounds you sent."

"Ok."

"I knew I had to gain their trust, so when it pounced on two of them, I killed it."

Aurelia's master paused for a second, lost in thought. "Good thinking. It might be difficult to gain it. Do what you have to. It's a good plan."

"I-I will, master."

"Send me an Iris message every so often to let me know how things are going."

"I promise, master."

"Go. You're getting tired."

"I'll keep you aware of my plans. Good night."

Aurelia's master waved away the mist and their connection was broken. Aurelia stretched out her cramped arms and put her things away so she could hike back to the camp site. _This will be a good plan._

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NOTE: I know it's short and I'm sorry about that, but I need to concentrate on other things. I have a few final projects to take care of. But all the same, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time~!


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